Tennessee point guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie still 'learning this group'

The first look at Ja’Kobi Gillespie came during Tennessee Basketball’s open practice at Food City Center on October 11, when the new point guard of the Vols torched his teammates with over 30 points in the split-squad scrimmage.

Of the limited information that leaked from the closed scrimmage between Tennessee and Ohio State a week later, the biggest point of emphasis was just how well Gillespie played, scoring 35 points against the Buckeyes. 

“He kind of came out with such a great start,” Tennessee assistant coach Amorrow Morgan said Friday afternoon, “when you talk about our intra-squad scrimmage and when you talk about our closed-door scrimmage against Ohio State.”

Up Next: No. 18 Tennessee vs. Northern Kentucky, Saturday, 3 p.m. ET

The production from Gillespie, the Maryland transfer and Greeneville, Tenn., native, has slowed down during his first two official Tennessee outings. 

Gillespie had 18 points in the exhibition loss to Duke at home on October 26, but needed 21 shots to get there. He finished 5-for-21 from the field, including 3-for-13 from the 3-point line. 

He had eight points in the season-opening win against Mercer on Monday, but went just 3-for-11 from the field and 2-for-6 from three.

Morgan was asked on Friday where the next step is for Gillespie, as No. 18 Tennessee (1-0) is back home to host Northern Kentucky (1-0) on Saturday afternoon (3 Eastern Time, SEC Network+) at Food City Center. 

“I would just say him continuing to learn our system and then also learning our guys,” Morgan said. 

As he said it, Gillespie was on the practice court at Pratt Pavilion working with another Tennessee staffer before the afternoon practice. 

“Just trying to like pick his spots,” Morgan said. “I think this is one of the first times in his career that he’s actually looked at as the guy that’s at the top of the scouting report, potentially. So, just learning to play the game the right way.”

‘He’s excited to continue to keep being one of our leaders’

Gillespie put himself at the top of scouting reports, and at the top of the pile of point guards in the NCAA Transfer Portal last spring, after averaging 14.7 points, 4.8 assists and 1.9 steals in 31.6 minutes per game at Maryland last season, shooing 45.3% from the field and 40.7% from the 3-point line. 

He averaged a career-high 17.4 points per game in 2023-24 at Belmont, where he spent his first two seasons of college basketball, while shooting 56.1% from the field and 38.7% from three.

His approach with the Vols, Morgan said, has been the right one.

“He’s had a really level head about everything,” he said. “He’s excited to continue to keep being one of our leaders. I’m excited to see how he moves forward.”

Morgan pointed to the second half against Mercer as proof. Gillespie made just one of the four shots he took after halftime, but he had five assists in 13 minutes.  

“I thought he got us going,” Morgan said.“There was a stretch where they tried to make a run late. He found Troy (Henderson) in transition. He found, it might have been Jaylen Carey, for a dunk. So he’s just learning this group. So I’m excited to see how he continues to develop.”